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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686164">Out of Line</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrybouquet/pseuds/starrybouquet'>starrybouquet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Unconventional Proposals [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate SG-1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:40:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686164</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrybouquet/pseuds/starrybouquet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He scrubbed a hand across his face, which he was sure was reddening. <i>Dammit, a General isn’t supposed to blush!</i></p><p>A General wasn't supposed to accidentally refer to his engaged 2IC as his future wife either.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill, Samantha "Sam" Carter/Pete Shanahan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Unconventional Proposals [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Out of Line</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a normal day at the SGC. Siler was lying in the infirmary; Walter was perched in the control room. Eight teams were off-world, someone had spilled fluorescent paint over most of the Level 18 floor, and SG-1 plus General O’Neill were foraging for food in the commissary. </p><p>Daniel went first, peering suspiciously at the "beef stroganoff" before passing it up in favor of a sandwich. Without looking, he handed sandwiches out to the other three--egg salad for Sam, BLT for Teal’c, and tuna for Jack because Jack hated tuna. </p><p>Jack wrinkled his nose at the proffered sandwich and snatched a BLT for himself instead, then watched in amusement as Teal'c, having already accepted the sandwich, stayed behind to get stroganoff as well. Following Carter's lead, Jack moved over to the dessert section next. Carter had the case open, presumably looking for the optimum blue jello cup, and Jack reached in beside her, going for that big slice of apple pie he saw squeezed in the back.</p><p>He'd nearly reached it when he felt his hand slapped away and his fingers pinched by the case closing. "Carter!" he protested.</p><p>"You know that Janet said you're supposed to be cutting down on the sugar," she said. "That's your <em>third</em> piece today."</p><p>Jack was annoyed. He was also preoccupied, looking for a red jello cup among the forest of blue to replace the forbidden cake. And he'd had to do paperwork the entire day, without even treaty negotiations to break up the monotony. That was the only way he cracked enough to say what he did.</p><p>"You can't control my diet until we're actually married, Carter," Jack grumbled sulkily.</p><p>Distracted as he was, he didn't realize he'd said something <em>off</em> until he extracted the hidden red jello cup and looked up to see not only Carter's shocked face, but Daniel's face peeking out behind her and Teal'c's eyebrow raised into his newly-grown hairline. </p><p>He abruptly realized the commissary had gone silent, the chatter and clinking of dishes suddenly conspicuously absent. It was then that Jack thought about the last minute. </p><p><em>Shit.</em> He scrubbed a hand across his face, which he was sure was reddening. <em>Dammit, a General isn’t supposed to blush!</em> </p><p>A General wasn't supposed to accidentally refer to his engaged 2IC as his future wife either. </p><p>"Hell, Carter," he mumbled. "I'm sorry. You know--"</p><p>"Not here," she interrupted. Taking Jack's arm, she led him out of the commissary, abandoning their food trays and leaving a room full of stunned SGC personnel in their wake. Jack followed willingly if a little worriedly, sure he was about to get sliced and diced by one irate Lieutenant Colonel.</p><p>She led him into the elevator and, when the doors closed, jabbed the level for her lab.</p><p>Jack opened his mouth to speak. </p><p>"Not here, either," she said, tossing a warning look at him.</p><p>Jack felt his heart drop to his toes, convinced that his inadvertent slip of the tongue was either going to cost him a body part or Carter's friendship. He wasn't sure which he rathered, and he also wasn't sure why he had chosen <em>now</em> of all times to drop such a stupid phrase.</p><p>When the elevator doors opened, Carter was out like a shot, and Jack hurried after her. Arriving at her lab, she swiped her key and opened the door, gesturing at Jack to enter. Bewildered and still kicking himself, Jack stepped inside and watched in confusion as Carter became a whirl of motion. She closed the door, locked it, then ran over to one of the blinky machines on her wall and pressed a few buttons.</p><p>"Okay," she announced, coming to sit on the stool across from him.</p><p>Jack stared, still having no idea how to explain himself and confused as all hell as to what was happening here. </p><p>It must've shown on his face, because Carter's expression softened a little. "I wanted to talk here instead of in front of everyone. I…" She hesitated. "Secured the room."</p><p>Jack glanced at the security camera. Sure enough, the red light was off.</p><p>He wanted to ask <em>why</em>, exactly, she’d “secured the room”, but held off. She hadn't punched him yet, and Jack decided the first item of business was to apologize. Then he could try to understand the rest of it.</p><p>"Carter, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--" Now he hesitated, because he didn't want to lie. What was a phrase for “I didn’t mean it” that implied that you did, in fact, mean it, at least subconsciously? He settled for, "I fully understand if you wanna report me--"</p><p>She shook her head firmly. "Jesus, sir. I'm not going to report you."</p><p>"It was out of line. Way out of line."</p><p>Carter studied him, and he tried to stay completely still, wondering what she was looking for. "Was it?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Out of line,” she clarified, blue eyes guileless.</p><p>Had he touched any quantum mirrors lately? "Carter, you're <em>engaged</em>."</p><p>"Well…” She frowned, and looked down. “We talked about this. Right?"</p><p>Jack could see her confidence slipping, which somehow made him feel even worse. "For crying out loud. Carter, it was a stupid phrase. It was out of line and I'm sorry--"</p><p>"You never said anything.” She drew one leg up onto the empty stool next to her and hugged it.</p><p>Were they talking about <em>that</em> now? He thought back to that disastrous conversation they’d had over her engagement to Pete, thought about every time he’d referred to whatever it was between them, however obliquely. Was there something he should’ve or could’ve said to change things? He had no idea.</p><p>"What did you want me to say?" Jack’s voice cracked.</p><p>Carter shrugged, gaze darting to him, then back to the floor. "Just... anything. I don't know. I've just...never been sure…"</p><p>Jack desperately wanted to reassure her, pull her into his arms, give some romantic speech and ride off into the sunset with her by his side. But he wasn’t that kind of guy, and besides, it wasn’t his place to do any of that. All he’d ever been able to do was be her friend--and barely that, sometimes.</p><p>He’d put his cards on the table ages ago, Jack figured. And at the end of the day, what mattered was Carter, not his <em>feelings</em>. So he asked the question he’d never wanted to ask. The only one that really mattered.</p><p>"Carter...does he make you happy?"</p><p>She sighed and seemed to deflate, resting her head on her bent knee. "I thought so. But no."</p><p>The stark words fell between them and thudded onto the ground.</p><p>"Well...then…" <em>Why are you engaged to him? </em>he wanted to say. But that sounded too callous. “I thought that…”</p><p>"Sir, stop changing the subject,” Carter said, saving his floundering sentence. She raised her head, eyes seeking him out. “I-I need to know, sir. Did you mean it?"</p><p>Jack had thought he had a decent idea of where this conversation was going, but apparently not. So he fell back on old habits: playing dumb. "What?" </p><p>"When...you said we would be married." The last bit came out in a whisper, but she held his gaze.</p><p>"I...Shit, Carter.” He slumped onto a stool opposite her, tired of playing dumb, tired of speaking in words that meant so little to the rest of the world and so very much to the two of them, tired of pretending that he was in control of his <em>feelings</em>. “What do you want me to say?"</p><p>"The truth,” she said, quiet but clear.</p><p>He couldn’t lie, not now. Jack squeezed his eyes shut. "Yeah, I meant it.</p><p>Finally admitting his feelings after years of repression should be a happy thing. Freeing. Why did it hurt so much? God, he didn’t want to open his eyes, see the look on her face.</p><p>"I would've said yes,” Carter told him.</p><p>Jack’s eyes popped open at that, and he could only stare.</p><p>“It’s the truth,” she said, voice small, eyes fixed on the lab table.</p><p>The truth. What she had asked him for, and what he had given. What she had given.</p><p>“I could’ve retired,” Jack said. It was the first time he’d spoken the words aloud to someone who wasn’t Hammond. “They said I could run the base as a civilian.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you?”</p><p>“You were happy.” <em>That was always the only thing that mattered, Sam. You know that.</em></p><p>“The SGC makes me happy. But not as happy as I would’ve been with you <em>and</em> the SGC.” She stood, took a step towards him. “I’m going to break up with Pete.”</p><p>“Carter, you shouldn’t go around doing this stuff just ‘cause of me.” Jack stood up abruptly. He didn’t want pity.</p><p>“No.” She made her way around the table to his side. “I was thinking about it already. But now that I know that you...still…I don’t care about Pete, not the way I should. Not the way I care about work, even.”</p><p>Carter was standing close to him, now. She tilted her head up, and looked him in the eye. "Propose to me."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Propose to me. You already know the answer."</p><p>"I can't!" His insides knotted further, and a sudden bout of blind terror washed over him, more than any Goa’uld shooting could ever drum up.</p><p>As always with the two of them, though, Carter seemed to calm in response to his sudden panic. She pulled his hands into hers and unfurled his tensed fists. "I know that you're my CO, and I know that I need to break an engagement. But...it’s a promise.” She searched his face.</p><p>Jack nodded mutely, still trying to sort it out. Proposing to Carter. He’d thought about that before, actually.</p><p>But he had waited too long to say something, and Carter must have thought he wasn’t going to do it. “If you can’t, I will.” she said, determined.</p><p>"Uh...” Jack took a deep breath--in, out--focused on the feeling of her fingers on his own. “Okay--I, um. Just give me a minute. I need to go to Daniel’s lab.”</p><p>For the first time in this whole conversation, Carter looked perplexed. “Why?”</p><p>“I, uh…” Would she think it was weird he actually had an engagement ring for her? “I need a ring. It’s in Daniel’s lab.”</p><p>“You've got a check-in with SG-8 in…" she checked her watch. "Fifteen minutes. Does it really matter?"</p><p>He breathed in and out again, letting the feeling of a <em>plan</em> soothe the panic. “Yes, it does. I’m just gonna go get that.”</p><p>Carter frowned, but nodded. “Okay. If you need to.”</p><p>Jack pulled open the door and dashed down the hall. </p><p>"Daniel. I need that ring,” he announced as he crashed to a stop in the doorway of his friend’s lab.</p><p>Daniel looked up, a sheaf of papers in hand, completely befuddled. "What?” Then, “Jack!” as the man waved a hand in front of his face.</p><p>"The ring, Daniel! That I gave you to keep? For Carter?" He was aware he was being impatient, but this was important, for crying out loud!</p><p>"You--” Daniel pushed his glasses up and blinked. “How the hell did you propose, Jack?! She's engaged!"</p><p>Jack bounced on the balls of his feet. "Later, Daniel. I'll explain later."</p><p>"Okay…" Daniel opened a desk drawer, rummaging around inside before producing a green velvet box. He handed it to Jack, still frowning with confusion.</p><p>“Thanks, Danny-boy.” As Jack bounded out the door and down the hall, he heard Daniel dialing the phone. "Hey, Teal'c, what’s up with Jack?"</p><p>He ran all the way back to Carter’s lab, half afraid she’d have disappeared by the time he got back. Which was a stupid fear, that of a five-year-old and not an Air Force Brigadier General, but hey, he couldn’t help it.</p><p>Carter was still there (thank God). She was sitting on a stool staring at the floor, and stood as he entered the room.</p><p>Jack slowed to a halt before her, and held out the ring box hesitantly. "Here.”</p><p>She smiled at him, brilliant and beautiful, and he felt love well up in his throat. “Do you want to ask?” she said.</p><p>Jack opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He shook his head shyly. Carter’s smile quirked sideways, and turned into the affectionate “sir you’re an idiot” smile that his more stupid antics brought out. In response, Jack gave a tiny shrug that said, “what did you expect?”.</p><p>Carter stepped forward until the ring box was the only thing between them, and slid her hands up to frame his face. “Okay, then. Jack O’Neill. Will you marry me?”</p><p>Jack swallowed, and felt moisture slide down his cheek. “Yeah,” he managed, and her hands slid down to his shoulders as she pulled him to her fiercely. He returned the hug with his free hand, surprised that he didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Fear and tears...those weren’t things that Jack O’Neill wore on his sleeve. Ever. But this was Carter, and Jack figured anyone who had <em>Samantha Carter</em> proposing to them deserved to shed a tear in amazement. </p><p>“I love you,” he whispered into her hair hoarsely.</p><p>“Love you too.”</p><p>Carter had been right again, he thought. They didn’t need the engagement ring to make it a real proposal.</p><p>But the ring was good to have, just in case. And it might have been for Carter’s finger, but really, it was for Jack.</p><p>Because without the physical reminder of the ring on her finger to prove it, Jack wouldn’t be able to shake the worry that this was all just a very, very vivid dream. Which would mean he would spend a lot of time staring at Carter in shock as he tried to process, again, that this was all real.</p><p>And why waste time staring at Carter when he could have her in his arms instead?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>writingherhope, if you're reading this, I promise I'm working on your fic.</p><p>Thanks for reading, y'all &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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